Abstract: Critical minerals refer to the mineral resources playing an essential role in our socio-economic development and national security. Some of them may have a great risks due to supply shortage, others may have a strong influence on global market due to our strong supply chains. At present, the international trade disputes have expanded from the economic and technological fields to the mineral resources. New challenges and new opportunities are faced to China’s security of mineral resources due to continue changes of world political and economic situation. Representative list of critical minerals/raw materials of the United States, the European Union and Japanese briefly introduced, and the present competitive situation of critical minerals in the world is analyzed in this contribution. Firstly, the list of critical minerals in various countries overlaps highly with each other. Secondly, major powers have put forward and implemented strategies to strengthen their security of supply chain. Thirdly, critical minerals are essential to the process of carbon neutrality. In this context, a recommended list of 37 critical minerals of China was put forward, including bulk minerals, three-type rare (rare, rare earth and rarely scattered) metal minerals, ferrous-nonferrous-precious metals minerals, strategic non-metallic minerals and special gas minerals. 31 of which coincide with the lists of the United States, the European Union and Japan. A general study on the application fields, global spatial distribution, production and trade patterns of the 37 critical minerals are carried out in this paper. The results indicate that these critical minerals are not only an indispensable material basis for the economic and social development of the world today, but also an irreplaceable material guarantee for the development of strategic emerging industries, clean energy, national defense and military technology. Among the 37 critical minerals, 22 are net imports, 19 are over 50% net imports, and 10 are over 90% net imports. And 11 critical minerals are of net exports, 5 are over 50% net exports, especially gallium is over 90% net exports. At the end of this paper, the security strategy of China’s critical minerals is discussed. Firstly, the list of critical minerals should be formulated, published and updated timely. Secondly, a number of key core technologies should be mastered and systematically arranged based on the whole industrial chain. Thirdly, arrangements for the scarce and advantageous minerals should be made overall to improve the right of speech and control. Fourthly, the technical breakthroughs of the domestic resources in the stage of survey, exploration, mineral processing and smelting and others should be strengthened. Fifthly, the critical minerals reserve system should be established. Sixthly, the cooperation in the exploration and development of overseas resources should be strengthened. Seventhly, the relevant legal system should be improved. Among them, it is particularly important to arrange the entire industrial chain, plan the scarce and advantageous minerals as a whole and increase the survey and exploration efforts.